NOT HAPPY: Readers were not happy with revelations Wide Bay MP Warren Truss spent $21,000 on a charter flight to give a speech where he chastised retirees for wasting their super on “luxuries”.LUKAS COCH

Arrogance, age of entitlement not over for our politicians

FEDERAL MP Warren Truss has been likened to a "scrub tick on a Wide Bay cow" in a storm of comment following revelations he spent $21,000 on a chartered flight to a function where he chastised retirees for wasting their superannuation on "luxuries".

Mr Truss's expensive flight has been likened to Bronwyn Bishop's $5000 chopper charter to a Liberal Party fundraiser.

A spokeswoman from the Deputy Prime Minister's office said no other flights were available to meet Mr Truss's ministerial duties when he chartered the flight from Canberra to Brisbane to address the Conservative Breakfast Club on May 14, last year.

"Mr Truss had official commitments in Canberra until approximately 9pm that evening and was then required to travel to Brisbane to meet another Budget-related commitment early the following morning," the spokeswoman said.

Adding salt to the wound, Mr Truss's post-Budget speech on the day of the charter berated retirees for using their savings "to enjoy a few cruises and luxuries of life for a few years until it runs out and people can fall back on the age pension".

The Gympie Times Facebook followers described the flight as another example of political hypocrisy, entitlement and arrogance.

"How dare he criticise how hard-working Australians choose to spend their hard-earned retirement funds when he is living off their taxes like some scrub tick on a Wide Bay cow?" one follower posted.

"Simply not good enough... this arrogance and total disregard for taxpayers has got to stop," said another.

"If he travelled by road sometimes he would realise how bad they are," someone else said.

"Considering he was Federal Transport Minister for how long? His own electorate has arguably the worst stretch of national highway."

Another post read: "Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey said 'the age of entitlement is over'. Evidently it is a case of 'do as we say and not as we do'."